Barre



W. E. DELABARRE, F. M. FRAZER 8?; R. A. GARRIOK.

' GONDUIT RAILWAY. TIROLLEY.

No. 580,828. Patented Dec. 11,1894.

WITNESSES;

A 77'0HNEYS.

' UNITED 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. DELABARRE, FRANCIS .MACDONALD FRAZER, AND ROBERTA. OARRIOK,-OFEW YORK, N. Y.

CONDU'IT-RAIILWAY TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,828, dated.December 11, 1894.

' Application filed J'anuary Z6, l894 Serial N0. 498,144. (No model.)

' To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WALTER E. DELA- BARRE, FRANoIs MACDONALD FRAZER,and

- ROBERT A. OARRIoK, of New York city, in

the county and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedConduit Conductor for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

Our invention relatesto a conduit-conductor for vehicles, especiallyadapted for transmitting electricity from the main conductor located ina conduit, which may be either underground or overhead, to the motor ordriving mechanism of a vehicle adapted to travel over or under theconduit.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an electrical conduit forvehicles, so constructed that the main conductor of electricity, which'is located in the conduit, will be thoroughly protected from the actionof the weather, and other external interference, and furthermore, toprovide a means whereby the.

opening in the conduit through which connection is made with a cartraveling over the conduit, will be so located that it will likewiseserve as a channel for the flange of the wheels of the vehicle runningupon one of the rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conduit of thecharacter above described which will be exceedingly simple, durable andeconomic in its construction.

The invention consists in the novel constru 0- tion and combination'ofthe several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointedout in the claims.

, Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, which represents a section through the conduit, andlikewise a section through a rail connected therewith, the mainconductor of electricity and the transmitting medium.

In carrying out the invention the casing A of the conduit is preferablymade in two sections, as shown in the drawing, both sections A and Abeing substantially L-shaped in general contour, meeting and beingattached to the horizontal section of the other, but it will beunderstood that the casing may be made in as many parts as in practicemay be found desirable.

the vertical member of one Between, for example, the inner end of thehorizontal member of the section A and the inner surface of the verticalmember of the. section A of. the casing, a slot or opening 10, isproduced, and upon the vertical section A of the casing one of the rails11 is secured,

over which the vehicle is to pass when the conduit is adapted to be usedunder ground, or when the vehicleis to run over the conduit. Thus itwill be observed that the slot 10 in the top of the conduit will serveas a channel in which the flangeof the wheels traveling on the track 11will enter. The horizontal member of the section A which member is atthe upper portion of the conduit, is provided with a guard 12 adjacentto the slot 10, which guard extends downward a predetermined distancewithin the chamber of the casing; and the inner face of this guard, andlikewise preferably the under surface of the horizontal member of thesaid section A is more or less concave. The horizontal member of thesaid section A which constitutes the main portion of the top of theconduit, is provided with a longitudinal opening therein, adapted toreceive and hold the head 13 of the main electrical conductor 14,

the said main electrical conductor being preferably T-shaped in crosssection, its head be- So ing the horizontal member thereof, and thevertical or main member ofthe conductor extends downward through andbeyond the lower wall of the upper or horizontal member of the saidcasing section A and that portion of the main body of the conductorwhich extends down within the chamber of the conduitis exposed, that is,non insulated, but that portion of the head and body of the conductorcontained'in thelongitudinal open- 0 ing in the upper portion of thecasing is surrounded, orv practically so, by an insulating material 15of any approved character.

A rod or bar l6, or the equivalent thereof, is adapted to be projectedfrom the vehicle to be propelled. This rod or bar extends downward intothe conduit through the slot 10, in which it is free .to move. This barcarries an insulated wire 17, adapted to be con-, nected with the motoror other driving mech- 10o anism of the car or vehicle. The rod at ornear its lower end is made to support a short shaft 18, the shaft beingat right angles to the rod or bar. That portion of the said shaft whichpasses through the rod or bar is insulated, as illustrated at 19 in thedrawing. Usually the shaft 18, is provided with a head at one of itsends, and the insulation over the head is beveled in order that waterdropping thereon through the slot 10, will immediately be dischargedinto the bottom of the conduit.

A collar 20, is located upon the shaft 18, and the said collar islocated immediately below the guard 12 at the upper portion of theconduit. This collar is provided with an insulated covering 21, theinner end of which is provided with a beveled flange in order that itmay shed water and prevent any drip from passing to a wheel or frictiontrolley 22, held to turn upon the inner end of the shaft 18, the saidtrolley being preferably grooved in order that it may receive thedownwardlyprojecting and exposed portion of the body of the mainelectrical conductor 14. The bottom or lower edge of the conductor, andlikewise the surface from its lower or bottom edge to its insulatedportion is protected upon its exposed side by the said guard 12.

Any approved arrangement of springs may be employed to hold the trolleyin contact with the conductor. As will be seen by reference to thedrawing, the trolley is allowed a limited longitudinal movement on itsshaft, so that lateral oscillations of the transmitting arm will notdestroy the contact between the wheel and the conductor, or cause alateral strain on the latter.

It will be observed that the insulated material 21 surrounding thecollar 20 on the shaft 18 will effectually prevent water, or any foreignmatter that may enter the conduit, from reaching the conducting wheel22. The wire 17, located in the transmitting bar or rod 16, is inelectrical connection with the shaft 18, since the electricity is takenfrom the main conductor 14, and transmitted through the wheel, its shaft18 and its connecting wire 17 to the motor, or to whatever drivingmechanism may be employed upon the vehicle. It will be readilyunderstood that the conduit may be employed in connection with overhead,underground or surface railroads with equal facility. "When employed foran overhead conductor, the conduit is used in an inverted position.

It will be understood that while the slot 10 is preferably located nearone of the rails upon which the vehicle is to travel, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention it may be placed at any point betweenthe rails of the track, or even adjacent surface of either rail.

Havingthus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with the slotted conduit, theconductor therein, and the transmitting arm adapted'to project throughthe slot of the conduit, of a trolley connected to the said arm,and acoveringof an insulating material secured to the arm beneath the slot ofthe conduit, said covering being provided, at

to the outside its ends, with bevels facing in the opposite directionfrom that of the trolley, as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination, with the conduit having a slot and a guard plate onone side thereof, and the conductor held in the conduitlaterally of thesaid guard plate, of a transmittingarrn adapted to projectthrough thesaid slot,a trolley connected to the arm and adapted for contact withthe conductor, and an insulating covering connected to the said arm andarranged essentially beneath the said guard plate, the said coveringbeing provided, intermediate of the trolley and the vertical line of theguard plate, with a bevel facing in the direction of the slot,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the transmitting arm adapted to project throughthe slot of a conduit, of a trolley connected to the said arm,and acovering of an insulating material secured to the arm, said coveringbeing provided, at its ends, with bevels facing in the oppositedirection from that of the trolley, as and for the purpose set forth.

WALTER n. DELABARRE. FRANCIS MACDONALD rmzrm. ROBERT A. clamor.

Witnesses:

J. FRED ACKER, C. SEDGWICK.

